You're all mine
by Iluvbeyblade
Summary: Brooklyn loves Kai, and knows that Kai loves him back. He doesn't trust Ray, though, there's something about that guy... When Kai is taken ill suddenly, Brooklyn finds himself struggling to cope with the sudden absence of his lover. KaiBrooklyn, RayMax
1. Chapter 1

Well, this is my attempt at a Kai/Brooklyn. Brooklyn's thoughts might seem seriously OOC, but his speech is generally in character, which is all we ever hear anyway... so, that's my excuse for warping his character out of all recognition! This won't be very long, only three chapters, and I'll update as reguarly as I can!

Disclaimer: Me no own beyblade.

* * *

I open my eyes and roll over, blinking sleepily.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, thanks, Kai." I reply. He smiles slightly. I stare at him, luxuriating in the knowledge that he's all mine.

"Could you get me a drink, Brook?" I nod and climb out of bed. I let out a gasp at an unaccustomed tightness in my groin. "What's the matter?" Kai asks, propping himself heavily up onto his elbow. He sees me and smiles again. "Oh, don't worry. That's just a little testimony to last night." He smirks and lies back down with a grunt. I grin. Yeah, last night was great. We had sex until we were both so tired we couldn't move, and then we fell asleep in each other's arms. I check my wrists and see a faint red mark where Kai put the handcuffs after we'd both had a few drinks. Sometimes I forget that I was a virgin until I decided to fall in love with Kai. There are purple love-bites all over my bare body, and I mean _all over_! I walk to the water dispenser and take a paper cup out of its packet, filling it with water. I go back and hand it to him.

"Thanks." he says, sipping it. He winces suddenly.

"What's wrong?" I'm instantly on the alert.

"Nothing," he assures me hastily. "I'm just a bit stiff, like you. Plus, I think I might've drunk a little too much." I nod in agreement, (By the time it came to the actual sex, he was so drunk that I was worried about his performance. I didn't need to be, though. Kai could probably still get an erection if he had both balls cut off!) and kiss him lightly on the cheek. He closes his eyes.

"Are you going to get up?" I ask him softly, slipping back under the warm covers. He shakes his head.

"I'm going to be lazy and lie in for a bit. You should get up, though." He pushes me gently towards the edge of the bed. I take the hint and climb out. I walk over to the wardrobe and start getting dressed.

Kai _must_ be tired. Normally by now, he'd have made at least four or five comments along the lines of, "shall I come and help you get dressed?" usually when I'm getting my boxers on, or just stared greedily until I let him come over and slip a hand around my penis. Or his mouth, whatever he wants, I don't mind. I pull on a thick cream jumper and look at him. He's lying with his face turned away from me. He hasn't bothered to replace the covers from where I threw them, so he's lying there, fully exposed. He must be freezing! I walk over, buckling my belt, and pull the covers over him. His eyes flicker open.

"Thanks, Brook…" he mumbles.

"Ssh," I say softly, stroking his cheek gently. "You look completely out of it. Go to sleep." He mumbles something that sounds faintly sarcastic and shuts his eyes. With one final, regretful look at him (I wouldn't have minded some under-the-sheets groping), I walk out of the bedroom.

"Hey, Brooklyn!" I smile as I see Tyson sitting at the kitchen table, stuffing his face as normal.

"Morning, Tyson." I reply. "Morning, everyone." The other four Bladebreakers chorus hello. Well, three of them do, Ray just gives me a curt nod. I return the nod with a glare of my own. I don't like Ray. I don't care what anybody says, he's a threat to Kai and me. Never mind what everyone thinks, I've seen the way he looks at Kai, I have, and it's not the look of the friend everyone thinks he is. He looks so stupid, too, with his ridiculously long hair hanging down everywhere because he hasn't put it up yet. Why doesn't he get it cut? All it would take would be just a few snips of the scissors. Snip, snip… Then, while he's at it, he could cut off his balls too, so that I wouldn't need to worry about him taking my Kai away from me. No one will _ever_ take Kai away from me.

"Where's Kai?" Max asks me. I like Max; he's got a good sense of humour. He stands up for me when Ray starts yelling at me. It's always over really stupid things, too, like I accidentally spill hot water over his beloved Driger. Or was it soup, that time? "Hello? Brooklyn?" Oops, I haven't answered Max yet.

"Kai's having a lie-in. He's tired." They all shoot surprised glances at each other. "What?" I say, somewhat nervously.

"It's all right, Brooklyn." Tyson says through a mouthful of pancakes. "It's just that Kai's usually up before the sun, that's all." I relax, aware that I've tensed up again. I've got to stop doing that; it gives me a massive headache if I do it too much.

"I'm not surprised he's tired." Ray says, smirking. "Not after that fiasco last night." I take a step towards him, one hand straying towards Zeus, waiting patiently in my pocket, itching to wipe that conceited smirk off his face. He thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread, just because he gets more fan mail than the rest of them. I'll teach him what fan mail is; my fist is a very big fan of his face. Or his groin, I really couldn't give a fuck as long as he screams good and loud…

"Brooklyn, calm down." Hilary says, smoothing things over, as always. "Ray's right, it's no wonder Kai's tired."

"Yeah, we were busy last night." I smile proudly. "It could've been even better if Kai hadn't drunk so much though, it made his orgas-"

"Too much information!" Kenny says loudly, putting his hands over his ears. Tyson copies him. I grin even more, knowing that they're only joking.

"Let's put it this way," Ray said coolly. "The next time I get people banging on their ceilings at two in the morning telling us to shut up, I'll go down and tell them exactly which ceiling to bang on, shall I?" I walk over to him very slowly, my eyes never leaving his. Amber, what kind of colour is that, anyway?

"Well, I would tell them to bang on your head, but they might get more reaction from banging on our ceiling." Everyone smiles despite themselves. There was this one time when the fire alarm went off at about, I don't know…four in the morning, and they all had to come in and scream blue murder at Kai and I before we noticed anything out of the ordinary. It was funny at the time, but we got a massive lecture from just about everybody you can think of afterwards. Hilary, Kenny, Max, Ray (like I was listening to that prat!), Mr Dickenson, Hiro, Judy, and Garland…the list seriously does go on. It was a load of fuss over nothing, if you ask me. Nothing compared to the _very_ important business that Kai and I were up to in there…

Ray hisses at me, I can't think of any other way to describe it, he actually hisses at me. We're all of two centimetres apart, trying to stare each other down. An idea flashes through my mind. I do a mental skip at how perfect it is, then lean forwards even more and kiss him, forcing his lips open. He pulls violently away, screwing his face up in disgust. I pull away slowly, a smirk of pure satisfaction spreading across my face. "That'll teach you." I whisper. Ray looks away. He still looks disgusted, but I bet he'd have loved it if I'd been Kai.

"Are you two quite finished?" Hilary scolds. Ray moves over to the fridge and gets out the milk, pouring himself a large glass. He swallows half of it in one go, and sits down beside Tyson, who's finally finished eating and is sitting back with his fingers laced over his suddenly larger stomach. I slip a hand into the pocket of my jeans and finger Zeus, who is stirring restlessly, sensing my agitated state.

"Hey, Tyson?" Tyson looks up.

"Yeah?" He burps loudly. "Oops, pardon me." he apologises, seeing Hilary's steely gaze fixed on him.

"Once you've digested some of that horrific amount of food you've stuffed down yourself, want to battle?" He grins.

"Yeah, sure. Wanna go now?"

"_Practice_ now." Hilary orders him. "If I catch you battling before half an hour's gone…" She lets the sentence trail off threateningly. I extend a hand. Tyson grabs it and uses it to pull himself up.

"Thanks. Let's go! I'm gonna _thrash_ you!"

"In your dreams…"

_"Half an hour!"_

* * *

Hilary waited until they were both out of earshot, then turned and glared at Ray. 

"What?" Ray said sullenly, kicking the table leg. "He winds me up! It's not my bloody fault he's so paranoid that he thinks I've got the hots for Kai!" Hilary gave him a shrewd look, then looked away quickly as his gaze flew to meet hers.

"No, but it doesn't help, you acting like he's your worst enemy! And don't swear in front of me!" Ray got up and started pacing around the kitchen.

"What's up?" Max inquired.

"You mean apart from that insane red-head we've had come in and take over recently?" Ray said sarcastically.

"He's not insane." Hilary said automatically. Ray snorted.

"Well? You said _apart from_." Max reminded him.

"I'm worried about Kai."

"Care to explain that?" Kenny frowned. Ray sighed.

"I don't know." He pulled Driger out his pocket and started throwing the beyblade up and down restlessly. "I just think there's something more to Kai staying in bed, that's all. Kai never gets tired."

"What, you think Brooklyn's lying?" Max tipped his head to one side. Ray shook his head.

"No, Brooklyn's telling the truth. Or, at least, he thinks he is. Kai could tell him anything and he'd believe it." Hilary bit her lip and nodded, seeing the sense in the comment.

"So, what're you going to do?" Max asked.

"I'm going to go and check on Kai. He'll probably tell me to stay out of his business, but, hey, that seems to be my job round here these days."

"What, getting yelled at, or sticking your nose into other people's business?" Ray gave Max a wry grin and walked towards the door.

"Both."

Ray pushed the door open.

"What is it?" Kai's cold voice greeted him. Ray took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"I was wondering if there was anything wrong…" He trailed off uncomfortably. Kai was lying in the bed with the covers pulled up. His face was even paler than usual and he hadn't opened his eyes yet. "Are you all right?"

"I'm tired."

"No, that's the story you fed Brooklyn." Ray came a little further into the room, eyeing a pair of handcuffs that were lying on the floor uneasily. Kai half opened his eyes and gave a weak laugh.

"Oh yeah, that was fun." Ray grimaced.

"I don't think I want to know. So, what's up with you really?"

"I told you, I'm just tired!"

"Kai, when I first met you, you thought nothing of surviving on three hours sleep a night. Then it went down to two when you realised you had to share a room with us. And now you tell me you're tired after _one _night of excess?"

"Hangover?" Kai offered.

"_Kai_…" Kai sighed, his eyes closing again.

"Fine!" he said wearily. "I've got a bit of a stomach ache, that's all. You satisfied now?" He groaned faintly and rolled over, turning away from Ray.

"Kai?" Ray moved closer.

"I'm fine. Go away."

"Kai?"

"_Go_. _Away_." Letting out a helpless sigh, Ray went out, closing the door quietly behind him.

* * *

"Go Dragoon!" Tyson's call rings in my mind, which right now doesn't have much room for anything. Zeus is _really_ energetic today. 

"King of Darkness Attack!" I shiver with delight as our bit-beasts collide in mid-air, sending power waves spreading through the training room. Zeus starts to push Dragoon back. Tyson raises his hand and a hurricane spirals outwards, returning it to a stalemate. We're both sweating buckets. When we battle, we give it our all, not like any other battle. Kai and I don't battle, because neither of us like to remember what I did to Kai. But Tyson and I have the same competitive streak. He helps me get rid of my problem with losing. Not that he beats me that often, it's just that when he does it helps me "come to terms with it", as my psychiatrist says. Normally, he just says a load of crap, but he does occasionally come up with things that're worth listening to. My psychiatrist that is, not Tyson. Mind you…

Zeus spins past my ear, breaking my train of thought.

"Hey, Brooklyn? You were like, mega spaced out just then. You okay?" I blink, and then see Zeus lying on the floor behind me.

_I lost…_

I grit my teeth, fighting against the familiar rush of fury welling up inside me. I do _not_ like losing. I am a blading _genius_, not a fucking _loser_…

"Brooklyn? Are you okay?"

"I can't have lost…I don't lose…" Vaguely, I hear Tyson sigh.

"That wasn't a proper battle, though." he reassures me. I blink, the blind fury retreating.

"It wasn't?" He shakes his head.

"So, you lost, but it didn't really count, see?" He grins in satisfaction at his own cleverness. I can't help but grin back. His cheerfulness is infectious. He pats me on the back, then turns away and recalls Dragoon to his hand. Apart from Kai, Tyson's the only person I can stand touching me. Max is good for comfort if I'm wound up, but I have my doubts about what side of the fence he's on. Not that I can complain, but still…

"I'm gonna go and try to get Kai up." I tell him, picking Zeus up. "You coming?" Tyson shakes his head.

"I'm still hungry." He grins again, his eyes lighting up. "If Kai doesn't wake up, try drenching him in _really_ cold water. That's what he used to do to me!" I laugh and turn away, raising a hand in farewell.

I'm standing at the door separating the kitchen from the bedrooms, ignoring Ray and Hilary, who're talking quietly, hoping that Kai'll come out of his room within the next few seconds, so's that I don't have to go in and risk what Tyson calls "The wrath of Kai" which I think is pretty fitting. I hear a loud crash. Hm…that was probably Kai slamming the bathroom door. I push the door ajar, meaning to go in to the bathroom and calm him down.

* * *

Ray turned, hearing something. Brooklyn was standing in front of the slightly open door. His face was chalk white, his eyes fixed on something in the corridor, incoherent words spilling from his mouth. Ray walked up and pushed the door fully open. He gasped and he and Hilary dashed in.

* * *

I'm frozen, staring like an idiot as Ray and Hilary push past me. The cry breaks from my throat. 

"_Kai_!" I run to him.

He's slumped beside the bedroom door, doubled over, clutching at his stomach through the dressing gown he's wearing. His eyes are screwed up tightly. The sound of his harsh, gulping breaths seems deafening in the narrow corridor. I kneel down next to him and shake his shoulder frantically. His skin is slick with sweat. One eye opens a crack.

"B-Brook?" His voice is strained and shaking slightly.

"Kai, what's wrong? Talk to me!" I beg. He slowly, painfully, unwraps one hand from his stomach and extends it towards me. I take it uncertainly, then gasp. He's gripping it as hard as he can, crushing my fingers. Hearing my cry, he loosens his grip, but I can tell he wants to squeeze it as tight as he can, as if that would stop whatever's happening to him. My fingers move over his, trying to offer comfort, but how can I give him any comfort when every part of my body is tense, screaming at me that something's wrong here?

Ray kneels down beside me. I flinch. I don't want him here, not here, not now…

"Five thousand, three hundred and eighty four minus seven hundred and sixty two." I relax, my brain automatically making the calculation.

"Four thousand, six hundred and twenty two." I reply, before I realise what Kenny's just made me do. I have no idea when he got here, but he's made me lose my concentration. I focus instantly, seeing Ray bending over Kai.

With one pull, he slips the dressing gown cord from its loops and gently eases it open, pulling Kai's arms out of the way. I grit my teeth, all too aware that Kai's naked under the dressing gown, unable to persuade myself that Ray isn't sneaking glances. He runs his fingers lightly over Kai's stomach, pressing quite a few times on an area just above Kai's right hip. The pressure on my hand increases. Kai's face is going corpse-white and he's groaning helplessly. Ray carries on as if nothing's happening, as if Kai isn't making that horrible, desperate noise…

"Stop touching him!" I yell. "Can't you see it's hurting him?" Ray looks up for a second, then back down.

"It'll hurt him no matter what I do." is his extremely infuriating comment. I open my mouth to yell again, but am stopped by someone putting a shaking finger to my lips.

"Ssh, Brook…let Ray do what he wants…" I blink, utterly confused. Kai opens his arms and I sink into them, suddenly sobbing like a baby.

"W-What happening, K-Kai…what's wrong, why are you acting so weird?" Kai's hand strokes my hair softly, his fingers running through the orange strands.

"It's okay…a little stomach ache…that's all…" he whispers hoarsely.

"It's not okay! You've had stomach aches before, haven't you, a-and nothing like this has happened!"

"Yeah, well…this one's a bit worse…that's all…no reason to get upset…" He rocks me backwards and forwards, then stops, stiffening again. I realise that Ray and Hilary are talking, Kenny hanging around awkwardly in the background.

"I don't like this," Ray mutters. "I don't like it at all. The only thing that I can think of that would cause even close to this amount of pain would be a ruptured appendix, but that's not what's happened."

"What do you think we should do?" That was Tyson. I don't know when he came in, either. Man, I'm really zoning out… Ray sighs, running a hand through his hair, which he's finally tied up. There's a long pause, everyone waiting while Ray decides.

"Kenny?" he says finally. Kenny nods, looking petrified. "Call an ambulance." He runs off.

No…it can't be that bad…nothing like this could ever happen to Kai…people die in ambulances, I've read about it…I don't want Kai to die, I don't want it, I don't WANT IT!

"Brook…Brooklyn…" I look wildly up at Kai. His face is twisted with pain; every muscle in his body is rock hard with pain and tension. "Calm…down." I shake my head frantically, beginning to pant. I feel someone lay a hand on my shoulder.

"Brooklyn, if Kai goes to hospital, they'll be able to make him better." Max says quietly.

"But they might not!" I yell, tearing his hand off my shoulder and slipping free of Kai's arms. "I've seen it on TV, people go into hospitals and then they die in there! Do you hear me? They die! I don't want Kai to die, you're not taking him away from me!" My voice has risen to a hysterical screech. I'm standing upright, taller than everybody, hands clenched into tight, white-knuckled fists, fighting the instinctive urge to draw Zeus and smash all the things that are confusing me, all the things I don't understand…

"Brook…it's okay…everything'll be fine…I won't leave you…" I stare down at the slumped, shaking figure by my feet.

"You're not Kai!" I hiss. I'm out of control now, but I don't care, I don't care anymore… "Kai would never let himself be reduced to…this!" I swivel, my eyes desperately searching for the real Kai, my Kai, the one who'll come and hug me tight, take me away from this madness…

Suddenly, there he is, in front of me. I hear the others gasp, but the words they're saying mean nothing to me, I just want out of this nightmare right now. I fling myself into Kai's strong arms, shaking uncontrollably.

"Ssh…ssh…everything's all right now…" He rocks me from side to side, stroking my head just the way I like it. I let out a soft sigh and cuddle up to him, feeling the roughness of the dressing gown against my cheek. Dressing gown…Kai must've just got up, he did say he was tired…yes, that's it… Something doesn't fit, but I ignore it. "Brook…I've got to go to the hospital soon, all right?" Hospital? A flicker of panic invades my quiet, peaceful world, where there's just Kai, and me and nobody can touch us. "It's nothing to worry about…just a little stomach ache, but Hilary wants to get it checked out. You know what she's like." I nod slightly, my eyes closed. Yeah, Hilary fusses over nothing. "You'll come and visit, yeah?" I nod again. Of course. Wherever Kai goes, I go. "But…wait for a bit, okay? It'll just be lots of people with clipboards and other stupid things at the start, and you don't want that." No, I don't want that…I'll wait, like he says… "That's good. Well done, Brook." He bends down and kisses me softly, then draws away.

I stumble, so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, they're fluttering like mad, but I can't…keep... them…open… Someone takes my arm and starts leading me gently towards the bedroom.

"Come on, Brooklyn." It's…Max, I realise fuzzily. "You need to sleep. You can see Kai when you wake up, all right?" I nod dreamily, my head lolling to the side, because I'm too tired even to keep it upright.

Max eases me down on to the bed and draws the covers up. I try to thank him, but nothing's working…everything's fading…

* * *

Max came out of the bedroom and flashed them a quick thumbs-up. Kai let out a low groan and sank to the floor again; his face grey and twisted with pain. Ray bent down to him again. 

"Kai? Can you hear me?"

"Of course…I…bloody can…fuck, where's the morphine…when you…need it?"

"Why did you get up like that?"

"God…why all the…talking…don't you realise how much this…hurts? Because…otherwise, Brooklyn would've…got out Zeus and…started lashing out at things…you saw him…didn't you? I'd rather not…have another…parallel universe…thanks all the…same!" He hissed the air through his teeth, then suddenly started making a choking noise. Ray's eyes widened and he moved quickly back. Kai jerked forwards, vomit splashing the carpet. Just at that moment, Kenny stomped through the door.

"What's up, Chief?" Tyson asked, more to distract himself from the large, steaming pile of sick on the floor than anything else. Ray looked up. Kenny was fuming, his face flushed with anger.

"Can you _believe_ it?" he burst out. "When I told them, they just laughed and said that it was probably nothing more than a bad hangover and to give him a couple of painkillers!" He took a deep breath and clamped his mouth shut.

"But, the ambulance _is_ coming, isn't it?" Max asked anxiously. Kenny nodded quickly.

"Oh yes, it's coming, but only after I gave them a graphic description of just how much pain he was in! Ray, what's the matter?" Everyone turned to look. Ray was staring at the vomit, a look of horror on his face.

"Look." he said hoarsely, pointing towards a patch of red. Hilary and Kenny gasped, Tyson and Max maintaining a confused and faintly disgusted silence. "Blood."

"So?" Tyson said bluntly. Ray didn't answer. He leaned over Kai again and tried to pull his arms away, without success.

"Kai, I need to look. _Now_!" he hissed. Giving him a dazed look, Kai obeyed, his arms falling limply by his side. Ray gently pulled the dressing gown open and stared at Kai's stomach, which was now recognisably distended. "Holy _shit_!" Everyone jumped as he stood upright and punched the wall viciously. "Shit, how could I've missed it?" Before anyone had the chance to ask him what the heck he was babbling about, the flat's receptionist came over the intercom

"Um…you guys called an ambulance?" With Ray temporarily off in "oh-my-God-how-could-I've been-so-stupid" land and Hilary and Kenny still kicking themselves as well, Max walked over and pressed the intercom button.

"Yeah, send them up, Sarah."

"Okay." One minute later, the paramedics burst through the door. Without waiting for explanations, they loaded Kai onto a stretcher. Then one of them turned to Ray.

"Right, what's the story, kid?" Seventeen year-old-looked-eighteen-or-older Ray swallowed his indignation at being called kid.

"We reckon something's punctured his stomach."

"Any idea what?"

"Not a clue."

"Any adults here?"

"Apart from him? No." The paramedic ignored Ray's sarcastic tone.

"Anyone we could ring?" Ray turned to Kenny, who nodded.

"Mr Dickenson. The number's 12591 496764." The paramedic nodded back, gesturing for his men to take Kai down to the ambulance. He turned.

"I thought I told you-"

"We're trying, Darren! He's not letting us!" Everyone spun around. Kai was gripping the doorframe, stopping them from moving any further. Agonised violet eyes stared at them.

"One of you…got to stay behind…with Brooklyn…" His grip loosened abruptly and they managed to get him through the door.

"I'll stay." Max said quickly. Everyone nodded. Max was the best choice, without a doubt.

"Are you lot coming or what?"

* * *

Well? Opinions? Please don't flame, but constructive critism is okay, 'cause I think I need it! By the way, the story will continue being told in the same manner, so please don't ask me to change it! Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's the next chapter! A big thanks to Lamanth, hikari0205, SilverMoon Wolf, Elemental Gypsy, Crucialus (), shadowoftheredmoon and missy () for reviewing the last chapter! Luv you all!This one isn't so long, I'm afraid. Enjoy it anyway!

Disclaimer: (is poked by reviewers. Yawns.) What? You don't know the obvious? I do not own Beyblade. Now, lemme sleep, SATS bad for brain...

* * *

I open my eyes a crack. They close again, too heavy to hold open.

"Brooklyn?" I stir. Max's voice wakes me up slightly; my eyes are easier to hold open this time.

* * *

Max waited, biting his lip. Would Brooklyn remember what had really happened, or what Kai told him, or only remember the fear and panic? It was probably too much to hope that he'd remember what had really happened. He started trying to remember exactly what Kai had told Brooklyn.

* * *

I hear Kai. 

_"I've got to go to the hospital soon, okay? It's nothing to worry about…just a stomach ache."_

"Kai…"

"Could you tell me where Kai is?" Max asks quietly. I try to sit up. Max helps me up and puts another pillow behind my back.

"Uh-huh…he said…he had to go to the hospital."

"Yeah, that's right." Max agrees. "How do you feel?"

"I'm tired…why am I so tired, Max?" There's a pause. I get the strangest feeling that Max is having to rack his brains. Normally I'd figure this out, but my brain feels like someone's put a thick layer of cotton wool over it. I can't think properly anymore.

"You battled Tyson, remember? It was a very big battle." I think hard; feel a memory sliding out of the cotton wool.

"Yes…I did battle Tyson. Who won?"

"I don't know, Brooklyn." Max answers. "Does it matter?" I shake my head.

"No. Not really." I colour slightly, embarrassed at what I'm about to say. "Um…Max? I kind of need the toilet…" Max laughs quietly and slips an arm around my waist, helping me up off the bed.

I am _exceedingly_ embarrassed. Max is having to stand behind me and hold me upright, because I can't stand on my own. I finish and pull my zip up. I sink down to the floor, pulling the toilet lid with me and rest my head on the cool porcelain.

"You okay, Brooklyn?" Max says softly.

"I need Kai…" I mumble helplessly.

"I know, Brooklyn, I know…" I feel Max hug me comfortingly, his grip secure. A light turns on in my confused head. Max has to be gay. Or bi, at least. No straight guy would dare hug me like Max is hugging me. But there's no attraction, he's just doing it to try and make me feel better. I spin round and kiss him desperately. I don't know what I'm doing, but it makes my mind go blank.

Which is good.

Max isn't responding, but he isn't pushing me away, either. He's just waiting until I calm down. But I'm not going to calm down, not now. My hands slide underneath his top, stroking him feverishly. He's softer than Kai, nowhere near as many muscles. I feel him starting to pull away. I hold him tighter and shove one hand down his trousers. He reaches down and pulls it out. Taking both of my hands in his, he lays them gently in my lap.

"You don't want this, Brooklyn." I try to pull away. "You don't want me. You want Kai." I nod, feeling burning tears welling up, scorching the inside of my eyelids.

"I want Kai…" My voice wobbles. "When can I see him?"

"I don't know. I'll go and find out, shall I?"

"Please…" As he gets up, I turn away and put my head back down on the toilet lid, sobbing like a child.

* * *

Max closed the door quietly and went to the phone. He dialled Hilary's mobile number, hoping she had left it on. 

"Hello? Hilary speaking."

"Heya, Hil, it's Max. Do you know when I could bring Brooklyn in? He wants to see Kai."

"Um…I don't really know…I'll hand you over to Ray, he might know."

"Okay, thanks."

"Max?"

"Yeah. When will Kai be okay to see Brooklyn?" He heard Ray clicking his fingers as he thought.

"I'm not sure… How is Brooklyn?"

"He's still pretty out of it, but I think…"

"You think he might get violent if he doesn't see Kai soon." Ray finished for him.

"Yeah." Max acknowledged. "So…"

"I really don't know, Max. Kai's only just woken up from the anaesthetic; he's still really shattered… Give it an hour, okay?" Max chewed his lip.

"Okay…" he said uncertainly.

* * *

I open my eyes as I hear Max coming back in. 

"Well?" I ask quickly.

"An hour." Max replies warily.

"_What?_" I scramble upright, eyes wide. "I want to see him _right now_!"

"Sorry, Brooklyn. Not just yet." I clench my fists.

"I. Want. To. See. Kai!" I grit out.

"Brooklyn, you can't just yet, okay?" I grab the nearest hard thing to me, the soap-holder, and chuck it at Max. He doges, but not fast enough, the metal box leaving a dripping red slice down the side of his face. He looks at me calmly. "Brooklyn, I know you want Kai, I understand, but-"

"You don't fucking understand at _all_!" I scream, then fling myself at him.

Still slightly woozy from the soap-holder assault, he barely moves before I'm on him, punching and kicking. With a hiss of fury, I smash his head against the sink. He stops struggling, goes limp. Suddenly scared, I let go of him. He drops to the floor, his eyes fluttering slightly. Slowly, painfully, he pulls himself upright and puts a hand to his head.

"Ow…" he whispers. For some reason, that strikes a nerve. How dare he complain about a measly knock to the head when my Kai's in hospital? Fury floods through me, but this time it's mixed with something stronger.

Lust.

I go up to him and kiss him hungrily. He tries to pull away, but he can barely move, and the movement only inflames me more. I kiss him again, and fumble with his T-shirt, pulling it off.

"Brooklyn, stop it…" The feeble protest doesn't register as I run my hands down his bare chest. He's so different from Kai, so much…weaker. I pull away to take a breath, then kiss him again, forcing his mouth open. Still kissing him, one hand tangling in his blond curls, my other hand creeps down and pulls down his trousers and boxers. Slowly, I began to move downwards, my mouth trailing over his collarbone, biting his nipples gently, and licking his flat stomach. My hands are in-between his legs, stroking him. He's hard, he can't help it. With a grin, I undo his zip and lower my mouth to his erection and begin working on it. He shivers as I suck at him. He's still trying to pull away, it amazes me. I mean, this is probably his first ever blowjob and he's trying to get me off! I come back up and crush his mouth to mine. He doesn't resist, limp everywhere now. I run a hand over his soft cheek, feel the tears there - "What would Kai think of you?" he whispers. I freeze, feeling as if cold water has been poured over me. _Kai… _I look at Max and snap out of my strange, lust-filled dream. He's lying on the floor, cheeks wet with tears, eyes dazed and unfocused, a small trickle of blood dribbling over his ashen face from my assault on him with the sink. I gasp with horror as I replay what I just did. I run over to him.

"Max? Are you all right? I am so, _so_ sorry, I-I didn't mean to-" He flashes me a look that reads "shut up" as clear as day. He sits up slowly, rubbing his head gently.

"_Fuck_." I start to tremble. I've never heard Max swear before, no one has.

"M-Max?" I stammer. He waves a hand at me, shutting me up instantly. He turns to face me and I quiver at the mixed anger and pity in his eyes.

"You're going to listen to me now, and listen well." he says quietly. "Right now, you can't see Kai. Soon, but not now. And if you ever, _ever_ do that to me again, you'll regret it." He sees my face - I think I look absolutely petrified 'cause that's damn well how I feel - and softens slightly. "Not that I didn't enjoy it. But I don't want you messing yourself up, okay?" I nod, choking up again.

"Kai…" I mew, turning away and burying my head in my hands. Max gently pulls me towards the window and tugs at my hands.

"Look, Brooklyn!" he whispers, pointing to something on the window ledge. Reluctantly, I look. A small, soft smile creeps over my face at the adorable sight of a mother blackbird feeding her chicks in amongst the mess of twigs that they called home. I love birds… With a pleased sigh, I settle my elbows on the windowsill and stare in bliss.

* * *

Max dialled Hilary's number again and got Ray. 

"Is Kai ready yet?" he asked, keeping his tone as normal as possible through the splitting pain in his skull.

"Groggy, but he wants to see Brooklyn. Why? Are you okay?" Ray was always very perceptive around Max…pity he wasn't quite perceptive enough…. Max blushed and forced the thought from his mind.

"Oh, I'm just fine." Max's voice sounded hollow even to himself. Ray stayed silent, waiting for more. "In the last few minutes, he's only beaten me up, cracked my head against the sink so hard that I'm bleeding from somewhere I haven't had time to identify yet, and tried to fuck me. Next question?" There was a long, _long_ silence.

"I think you'd better get him over here. And you'd better get checked out while you're here, too."

"No shit, Sherlock." Max ended the call, rubbing gingerly at his painful head. "Hey, Brooklyn? We can see Kai now!" he called. No answer. "Brooklyn?"

"In a minute…" came the dreamy answer. Max peered into the bathroom, to see Brooklyn gazing serenely at the brown, slightly speckled bird perched happily on his index finger. He smiled despite himself at the sweet sight.

"Brooklyn?" he repeated, a little louder. The bird cheeped in alarm and flew off. Slowly, Brooklyn's attention focused on Max again.

"Yes?"

"We can see Kai now." Max said for the second time. A large grin spread across Brooklyn's pale face.

"At last!" he exclaimed joyfully. He stood up, seeming to be fully recovered from his slightly…muddled state of earlier. His teal-blue eyes flew to where Max was unconsciously rubbing at his pounding head, and his contented face creased with worry and guilt. "I'm so sorry, Max, really, I don't know what came over me. Do you feel all right?" He looked concernedly at Max, who nodded automatically, wincing.

"It's okay, Brooklyn, you were upset. I'm gonna get checked out once we get to the hospital."

"Yeah, I know I was upset, but still…" Brooklyn trailed off, frowning. He didn't like not being in control, Max knew, and hated his chaotic mental state, but he hated being patronised and/or treated differently because of it even more.

"Trust me, it's okay."

* * *

Is it though, Max? I can see you're in pain; it's blindingly obvious to anyone with half a brain. (That rules out Tyson and Ray, then. No, that was mean…it only rules out Ray.) I chuckle softly, then immediately feel guilty. If Kai was here, he'd have cold-shouldered me for at _least_ a few hours if I'd said that out loud…and probably if I hadn't…I swear he can read minds sometimes. Reading mine, now _that's_ an achievement! _I _can't even work out what I'm thinking sometimes! 

"Are we going, then?" I ask at last, when I snap out of my musings and realise that Max hasn't moved, his eyes glassy. He blinks and nods quickly, his eyes coming back into focus.

"Yeah, let's go." I follow him out, narrowing my eyes and resolving to keep a close eye on him until he get to the hospital.

* * *

Well? Opinions, please! I can't believe I'm even hinting at a Ray/Max... that pairing is pure fluff, and in my opinion is completely unrealistic. I mean, come on! They're SOboth uke! Anyway, review, please! (This update is for Lamanth, who threatened me with Tala-shaped cookies. Bleurgh.) Review! 


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the final chapter! A gigantic thanks to hikari0205, SilverMoon Wolf, Elemental Gypsy, Crucialus (), Lamanth, shadowoftheredmoon, missy (), Kai Angel and Kiko cat for reviewing. (If I've missed anybody out, tell me!)Can I just say that, contrary to somebody's opinion, I do **_NOT_** hate Ray! (hugs Ray plushie protectively) I _luv _my little Ray-Ray! It just worked out like it did because Brooklyn doesn't! He changes his opinion a little bit in this ending chapter, though...

Lots of people have asked me what is wrong with Kai, and since it doesn't get mentioned much, if at all, I'm going to say it now. His stomach lining was punctured. It was operated on last chapter (there's hints to it if you look) and he's fine now, just a little tired and weak, and still in hospital.

There's been stuff happening at home, so this hasn't been updated when I would have liked it to be. Enjoy!

* * *

I walk into the hospital beside Max, who I'm now _seriously_ worried about. He's nearly fallen twice in the two-minute walk from the car park to the hospital, and hasn't said a word since telling the taxi driver where we wanted to go. Out of sheer habit, I turn and begin walking down the corridor leading to the psychiatric ward. Max pulls at my sleeve. 

"Wrong direction." he says with a brief, strained smile, pointing in the correct direction. I obediently walk that way.

"Max, you really don't look too good…" I say uncertainly. He gives me an annoyed glare and I fall silent. Fine. If he hasn't got a concussion at least, I'll eat Zeus.

Suddenly, the rest of the Bladebreakers appear as we turn a corner, lounging gracefully, (Hilary) slouching and stuffing his face, (who else? Tyson) fiddling with Dizzi, (Kenny) and pacing restlessly (Ray) at various points in the waiting room, completely oblivious to the awed gazes of everyone under the age of about fifty, staff included.

"How is he?" I burst out as we get within a reasonable distance. They all look up in unison, matching looks of surprise on their faces. It's quite funny, actually. After the usual chaotic jumble of "Hello", "You okay?" and so on, and Kenny's usual, belated, "Who? What? Oh, hey Brooklyn," they all fall silent and look uneasily towards Ray, who, for some reason, looks furious.

"What did you do to Max?" he grits out from between clenched teeth. I bristle instantly, my hand flying instinctively to Zeus, waiting as patiently as ever in my pocket.

"I said I was sorry." I say softly, dangerously.

"Maybe that wasn't good enough!" Ray snaps, striding over to Max and gently placing his hand on the blond's head, pressing lightly as he searches for any wounds or bumps. I look, see a faint, nearly unnoticeable tinge of pink stain Max's cheeks at Ray's delicate touch. Well, I never…no accounting for taste…okay, that wasn't nice! "Fuck, what'd you do to him, hit him round the head with the fucking _wall_?" Ray snarled.

"I said I was sorry!" I repeated, my eyes flashing. "I was upset because I couldn't see Kai!"

"Oh yeah, that's the catch-all excuse for everything, isn't it, Brookie? You were _upset. _No matter what happens to anyone else, as long as no one blames the psychotic blading genius! He was just fucking _upset_!" He's glaring up at me, his eyes wide and blazing with a strange, passionate fury. "You don't know how fucking lucky you are, you stinking dickhead. Your whole life, people have been making excuses for you, telling themselves that you couldn't help it, it wasn't your fault! When you realise you can't fix something by wriggling out of it, you don't turn and face it like a true blader, you lash out and scream at it and hope that it'll go away! You make me _sick_!"

I draw myself up to my full height, shaking with fury, fighting the urge to grab Zeus and shut him up for good. Because he's right, and that's what hurts. I'm a coward, a bully, I use violence when nothing else works my way, and poor Max is the proof of that. I drown in self-pity for a few seconds, then white-hot rage flares up inside me again.

"Like you care about me! The only reason you notice me at all is because I'm standing in the way of Kai! You can't deny it, I know you want him! Why would he take _you_?" I hiss spitefully. "Why would _anyone_ take _you_?" Ray's face drains of colour. I see this, but can't stop the words from spilling out. "You're stuck-up, arrogant, you think you know it all, you think everyone's falling at your feet! Well they're not! You're the weakest of all of us, Ray, and don't you think I don't know it! Everyone knows it! Everyone saw you in the Worlds, the only one who didn't get to fight the World Champion, the only one who was weak enough to lose that quickly! You're utterly pathetic, and you don't deserve to call yourself a blader!" I finish, panting, expecting a furious retort.

Nothing comes. The glittering, incensed light in Ray's eyes dies, leaving a blank void behind. Slowly, every movement very deliberate, he turns around and begins walking towards the exit.

"You're entitled to your own opinions." he says quietly. "If anybody wants me, I'll...be around." Strained, awkward silence falls as he goes through the doorway. "Kai's in room 104." he calls, his voice eerily calm. Sensing that I've somehow done far more damage than I intended, I stare resolutely at the floor, the walls, anything but the others, as I walk towards Kai's room.

Kai looks up as I come into the room. He's lying down, looking drowsy, his face still slightly waxy. Seeing my uncertainty, he smirks and beckons me forwards.

"C'mon, Brook. It's not contagious." I smile nervously and move to sit on the bed next to him. He struggles to sit upright, managing it with a grunt, and holds out his arms. I lean into his comforting embrace with a sigh of relief and close my eyes. A few minutes later: "What's these for?" He touches his finger lightly to my cheek and shows me the tears. I blink. When did I start crying?

The words spill out, tumbling over one another.

"I was so _scared, _because you were ill, then no one would tell me anything. I really hurt Max, I think I might have given him concussion, then…then…" I trailed off, belatedly wondering whether I should tell Kai what I said to his best friend.

"Then?" His voice is sharp and hard, like a razor. Like a beyblade. Which reminds me, Zeus is still in my pocket, and - "Concentrate, Brook. Then what?"

"I-I think…I insulted Ray, 'cause he insulted me first…I said he was the weakest of us all…and no one would ever want him…and I think I might've…hurt him more than I wanted to…" I say timidly. Alarm flashes in Kai's eyes. He breathes in sharply, the lets it out slowly.

"Right…" He pushes his hair back from his forehead. "Brooklyn, there's some things you need to know, okay? That means I need you to concentrate very hard, and follow _everything_ I'm saying, understand me?"

"Yes…" God, I'm nervous now.

"All your paranoia that Ray likes me…put it this way, it's not unfounded. During the second Worlds, we were together, I'm not denying that. He was only fifteen, still growing up, he had a serious crush on me. I took advantage of that slightly, I think I took him too far, too quickly. Anyway, he never wanted me and only me, that's where the difficultly lay.

"You see, he's bisexual, and he was fancying people right, left and centre. Salima, Ozuma, King and Queen, I think he fantasised about every single one of our team, except Kenny of course, and I can't deal with that kind of thing." He smiles slightly. "I don't share. So, I ended it, very abruptly, after Tyson won for the second time and left the team. He followed my example soon afterwards, but we both came back within a relatively short space of time. Tyson was getting lonely. " He smirks. "As you know, for the third Worlds, the Bladebreakers split up. Anyway, he spent most of that time worrying. He knew he wasn't the strongest, he also knew that Max, who had always been weaker than him, would be receiving the best training that money and his mother's influence could buy.

"He'd always liked Max as more than a friend, and he desperately didn't want to lose to him. According to what Lee said when I asked him, there were times when he would become almost as harsh to them as I was at my worst. He had a terrible fear of losing, of proving himself to be the lowest of us. And then, when he lost to me and became the only one of us who didn't fight Tyson when he was at his best, that knocked his already battered confidence for six. And when he lost to Crusher, it pretty much disappeared.

"I'd even go as far as to say that he became depressed. Everywhere he turned, there was another lost battle, another futile crush rejected because, or so he thought, he wasn't good enough. Thankfully, we managed to drag him out of it before he did anything too drastic. And I'd say your…comments might have just pushed him back into his old habits again."

I swallow, feeling physically sick at what my angry words have done. Kai's face is worried, his eyes dark as he thinks.

"Go and find him." I blink, startled.

"What?"

"You heard me, Brook. Go and find him. Apologise."

"But-"

"No buts. Go." Kai pushes me off the bed, pain flashing through his eyes at the movement. We lock gazes, battling silently. He wins. As always. Wordlessly, I turn and leave the room, racking my brain for Ray's possible whereabouts.

* * *

Kai's easy to find; he goes down to the beach or by the river, so does Tyson. But Ray…I've got no idea where he could be…he could be anywhere. All right, Brooklyn, use your head. It might be messed-up, but there's an IQ of 187 hidden in there somewhere, put it to use! Suddenly, a thought flashes into my mind. 

It's just a single image. Once, Ray was upset about something, I never bothered asking what, and left the house. I was walking to the shops and I saw him in a tree, lying on this big, thick branch, crying. It stuck in my head, which is a good thing, because that's the only lead I have on where he could be… I set off at a jog.

Yes, I was right! Oh yeah, having a genius IQ and a photographic memory comes in handy on occasions! He's up there, in that same tree, his eyes closed, oblivious to the stares he's getting from a young couple on a bench a few feet away.

Deep breaths…think of birds…nice and calm… I walk up to the couple.

"Could you possibly move?" I ask politely. "I need to talk to my friend up there," I nod towards Ray, "and it's a little…personal." The girl blushes and nods instantly, elbowing her boyfriend in the side and standing up. He gives me what Max jokingly calls the "homophobe" look and stands up, deliberately barging into me as he goes past. Well, they think Ray's my boyfriend, but sacrifices must be made! Now then, that was plain nasty! I've got to stop doing that if I'm going to be at all sincere when I apologise.

I walk over to the tree and look up at him.

"Ray?" I call softly. "You okay?" He stirs, mutters something, then settles back down again. "Ray?" I repeat, this time a little louder. He stirs again, his eyelids fluttering open. "Ray, can I talk to you?" He blinks drowsily and peers down.

"Oh, it's you. What happened, Kai tell you to come and say sorry?" he mumbles. I nod sheepishly. "Well, say it, then go away and leave me alone. I want to go back to sleep."

"You can't sleep up here forever." I point out sensibly.

"Gimme one good…reason why," he says around a yawn.

"You'll get ill." He snorts.

"Yeah, like you give a damn about me!"

"Maybe I do!" I say defiantly. He blinks a few times, rubs his eyes, and leans down, staring intently at me with sleep-clouded eyes. Slowly, horror fills those same sleepy golden orbs.

"He's told you everything, hasn't he?" he whispers, so softly that I practically have to lip-read. I nod uncertainly. He lets out a muffled howl of rage and slams his fist against the tree trunk. "I am _not_ being pitied by a schizophrenic tree hugger!" he yells. Personally, I find that quite funny considering _he's_ the one up the tree, but whatever... "This isn't _fair_…this wasn't how it was supposed to happen!" He's talking to himself now, his voice an incoherent mumble. Dread hits me like a punch to the stomach.

"Ray, have you…taken anything?" I ask cautiously. He glares at me, and I notice for the first time the difficulty his pupils are having in moving.

"Couple more antidepressants than normal - you report that back to Kai and you die." he mumbles. My eyes widen.

"How many?" My voice is still perfectly calm and level. Good, because the rest of me certainly isn't. He shrugs, his eyelids flickering sleepily.

"More than I should, but I reckon you already know that." He yawns again, settling into a more comfortable position on the branch.

"Do you like Max, Ray?" I ask, desperately trying to keep him awake. Dazed eyes struggle to focus on me as he drags his mind back into reality again.

"Uh-huh. What's the point, it's not like he's even gay…"

"He is. Or bi." I add honestly. Ray's eyes widen slightly.

"Really?" His voice is barely audible. I nod frantically.

"He likes you, too, I saw him blush when you were checking him over earlier in the hospital." I said quickly. Ray merely blinked in response, a tiny smile creeping across his face. "Ray, I'm so, so sorry." Wow, where did that come from? I actually do feel…sorry for him. You see, I know what it's like, to be so depressed you try and kill yourself. I've been there, time and time again. Even now, even with Kai around, I still have days when I look at Zeus' sharp edges in a different light. "I know…what it's like. Feeling like you do. And I'm so sorry, if I'd have known, I would never have said what I did."

"Sure you wouldn't."

"I wouldn't!"

"Mm, right…whatever you wanna think…" Growling in frustration, I turn away, just in time to see Max come racing up the path, his eyes fixed on Ray.

"He's overdosed." I tell Max, who seems to be barely listening. "I'm going to go and get help. Try and keep him awake." I run off, not bothering to check if Max is following my instructions. He will be, though, I'd bet Zeus on it. That and more.

* * *

Four hours later, I'm curled up comfortably next to Kai, watching Ray and Max in the next bed. (And in a similar position, might I add) Ray accepted my apology in the end, _after_ he'd had his stomach pumped, and he's promised all of us that, yes he _will _try and see someone. With Max, Hilary and Kai all ordering him to, he could hardly say no and get away alive, but hey, that's friends (and boyfriends!) for you. He can use my shrink. He's okay, I suppose. The shrink, that is, not Ray. He's okay, too, I suppose. They make a very cute couple, even _Tyson_ admitted as much! When it comes to, quote "mushy stuff", he's almost as bad as Kai! Who, by the way, is _horrendous_! I'm glad that sex doesn't count as sentimental, otherwise I'd never get any…ooh, now, that would be _bad_… 

"What's up, Brook?" I look up at my boyfriend and smile, blowing him a cheeky kiss.

"Just thinking,"

"About what?"

"You and sex." He grins and shifts position so that we're lying stomach to stomach.

"Now, _that_ sounds interesting…" Tyson makes some loud comment about "too much testosterone in this dump" and storms out. Everyone is momentarily silent with the shock of Tyson knowing such a long word.

Max grins and sits up, much to Ray's dislike, but he's still too drugged-up to do much about the sudden lack of Max-warmth.

"So," the petit blond asks, grinning mischievously. "Who do you reckon he fancies?" We all laugh, and Hilary, Max and I start suggesting possibilities, each wilder than the last. A few minutes later, Ray is asleep, and Kai is having difficulty hiding his tiredness. Kenny and I notice simultaneously and make signals to whichever of the remaining two are closer to us. Sitting up, I kiss Kai's cheek lightly.

"Bye, Kai," I murmur, wrapping my arms round him in a fierce hug. He returns the kiss, his slightly more…ho hum…let's just say adventurous? Mm.

"See you tomorrow, Brook," he says, his voice strained with the effort of not yawning. I grin.

"Go to sleep, you nutter."

"You're calling _me_ a nutter?"

"Takes one to know one!" I shoot back. He fumbles for a comeback and gives up, lying back and closing his eyes.

"Bye, guys," he says abruptly. Knowing an order when we hear one, we all file out. Max and I turn around in the doorway and take one last look at our other halves. I smile as Kai cracks open one eye, sees me watching and flips me the finger.

You're all mine, Kai. Not Ray's, not anyone else's, you're mine, and I'm yours.

Whoever knew belonging to somebody felt so good?

* * *

Well? In my opinion, this chapter seems really rushed, but I couldn't think of another way to end it. Hope you all enjoyed it! (rejoyces at finally finishing a story) Please, please review! I'll give you cookies! 


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